Joe Pereira, a two-time CAA Coach of the Year, enters his 19th year at the helm of the women's soccer program at ODU. In 18 seasons as head coach of the Old Dominion women's soccer team, Pereira has established the program as a true power capable of knocking off both regional and nationally ranked foes.

In 2008, Pereira used a combination of veteran skill players and young depth to put together another fantastic season on the field for ODU. The team returned to the postseason for the fourth time in five seasons after a 14-4-2 season that included an undefeated 8-0-2 stint on the home field. It was the third season with at least 12 wins since 2005, leading to a 50-24-5 (.665) record during that stretch.

After winning eight of the first nine games in 2008, the team earned its first ever national ranking, listed as high as 25th in the country.

In 2006, Pereira took the Lady Monarchs to new heights. The Lady Monarchs won a record 17 games, and at one stretch won a school mark of eight straight, breaking the old mark set in 2005. ODU captured their first ever CAA crown and advanced to their first ever NCAA College Cup tournament.

In 2005, the Lady Monarchs won seven straight matches as they compiled a 12-7 mark and advanced to the CAA tournament. ODU knocked off CAA rival William and Mary as well as defeating Wyoming from the Mountain West Conference. In 2004, the Lady Monarchs were within one game of taking first place. ODU defeated CAA rival William and Mary for the first time and knocked off Arkansas from the Southeastern Conference as Pereira was named CAA Coach of the Year.

In the always tough CAA, Old Dominion has established a foothold as one of the leading teams and is now a yearly contender for the conference crown. In 2000, Pereira guided the team to a 13-7-1 record and picked up his 200th career victory. He added his 250th career win in 2006 and is now just nine wins shy of 300.

Pereira, the 1998 and 2004 CAA Coach of the Year, currently sports 141 wins with Old Dominion. His 285 career coaching victories rank him 23rd all-time on the NCAA's total wins list, 13th among Division I coaches.

Prior to arriving at Old Dominion, Pereira was head women's soccer coach at Methodist College for 11 years. He is currently a Region I coaching staff member with the United States Youth Soccer Olympic Development team.

While at Methodist, Pereira led the school to three NCAA Division III Final Four appearances en route to rolling up an impressive 144-59-13 record. His teams were ranked in the nation's top five for five years, including a No. 1 ranking in 1990. During his tenure, he coached 18 All-Americans, nine Academic All-Americans, 50 All-Conference performers and 26 All-South Regional selections. He was named the Dixie Conference Coach of the Year nine times, and won league titles nine of the last ten years he was at Methodist. In the fall of 2000, he was inducted into the Methodist College Hall of Fame for his efforts.

Prior to joining the Region I United States Youth Soccer Olympic coaching staff, Pereira directed the Olympic Development Program for the South Region for four years. He also traveled extensively throughout Europe, guiding the South Region teams through their trips abroad. Pereira also served as an assistant coach at the 1993 Olympic Festival. In addition to his coaching duties at Methodist, he also served as an assistant athletic director from 1992 to 1993 and as an assistant men's varsity soccer coach from 1981 to 1984.

Pereira attended Warren Wilson College in Asheville, NC, for two years before transferring to Appalachian State where he graduated in 1981 with a B.S. in industrial education. While at ASU, Pereira was a letterwinner on the soccer team. Pereira and his wife Theresa have two children, Stephanie and Kristen, and one grandchild as Stephanie and her husband David recently gave birth to a baby girl, Estelle.